Mr. Turkey Leg's legacy goes beyond food

To a lot of people, Elton Moore was known as Mr. Turkey Leg. But at a memorial held Monday in his honor, it was revealed he was much more than that.
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In this file photo, Elton Moore, also known as Mr. Turkey Leg, chats with customers from the midway at the Mississippi State Fair in Jackson. Moore died in April at the age of 66.(Photo: Joe Ellis/The Clarion-Ledger, The Clarion-Ledger)Buy Photo

For the past 30 years, Elton Moore has been a fixture at the annual state fair in Jackson. But when the fair comes to town this October, Mr. Turkey Leg, as he was fondly known, won’t be there.

Moore died of congestive heart failure in Hattiesburg on April 26 at age 66.

A devoted father and grandfather with a strong Christian faith, Moore had owned and operated his own catering/concessions business, Mr. Turkey Leg Catering, for close to 40 years.

But, he didn't always sell turkey legs, daughter Cam Russell said.

“He started out at the state fair doing mini-donuts when I was 4 or 5 years old, so it just went from there,” she said. “He turned it into a very small booth and started Mr. Turkey Leg and it kind of just exploded from there.”

Although Mr. Turkey Leg’s claim to fame may have been his work as a cook and caterer, to many people Moore was more than that. His wife, Margaret, and stepson, Paul Marker, spoke of a hard-working, loyal and loving man who made it a point to be involved with community events like the St. Paddy’s Parade — which he helped promote for the past 25 years — and Kids Fest.

For Moore, the work was truly never done. When he wasn't serving food at the state fair, "Mr. Turkey Leg" was providing contract meals to emergency workers. His wife said during his time working for Base Logistics in Louisiana, he fed the electrical lineman. When Katrina ravaged New Orleans in 2005, Moore fed workers at the nuclear power plant.

"He was a hard-charging entrepreneur and a builder of businesses in the community. When you were a trustworthy person that worked hard he did everything he could to help you out," Marker said.

Moore’s family held a “Celebration of Life” memorial for its patriarch Monday at Hal & Mal’s Restaurant & Brewery, and several of his friends and family flocked to the establishment’s Red Room to pay their respects.

Elton Moore, also known as Mr. Turkey Leg, died of congestive heart failure in Hattiesburg on April 26. He was 66.(Photo: Special to Clarion Ledger)

There, mementos from Mr. Turkey Leg's days playing football at Provine High School, including a letterman jacket and team photo, sat on a table by the door as those in attendance looked on while a reel of photos depicting a lifetime of memories flashed across a screen.

At the memorial, Debbie Lee, Moore's first right hand and someone he worked closely with during his business' formative years, said the state fair won't be the same without him.

"That was a big attraction for all of us. Even though we weren't working with him or for him anymore, we still stopped by. We stopped by just to say hello, just to check on him, for him to check on us," she said.

Hal & Mal's Malcolm White met Moore as a vendor who would attend events White was hosting and promoting. Over the years, they formed a friendship as Moore went from managing just his vendor to managing all concessions and vendors at events. White said Moore appreciated and cared about the city of Jackson and wanted to see it do better.

"All through these years, even when he moved away from Jackson, he's continued to be a friend and a partner and work with me and manage these events," White said. "He wasn't just a business guy, he was also a booster. He cared about people, he cared about the community, he cared about Mississippi. He touched everybody he ever came in contact with. He was just a good guy."